Aukana Buddha Statue

The tallest ancient Buddha statue of Sri Lanka is located at 30km northwest of Dambulla and at 50km south of Anuradhapura near Kala Weva man-made rainwater reservoir.

Interesting facts

• Stone statue 12 meters high carved from a single piece of rock.
• Despite the huge size, the proportions of the statue is ideal: in the rain drops drip from the nose exactly to the point between the feets with millimeter precision.
• The statue is carved in the proportions of 9 faces: the height of the statue is equal to the height of nine faces.
• Aukana translated from the local dialect means “absorbing or devouring the sun.”
• The statue was found by the British archaeologist accidentally in 1850.
• Gesture of the raised right hand of the Buddha is blessing all around, and the left picks up the clothes before crossing the river.
• Especially the statue looks in the morning in the rays of the rising sun.

Aukana is a very famous and revered sacred place among the Buddhists and pilgrims from around the world. In the morning monks lay flowers, and at holidays hold a religious ceremony.